Question: Do Cooking Oils Contain Saturated Fat?

Answer: In short, yes, but in varying degrees, depending on the type of oil.

Enova-brand oil, which is a blend of soybean and canola oil, contains the least amount of
saturated fat, at 0.5 grams per tablespoon, which is 3.5 percent of its make-up. The bulk of its
fatty-acid make-up is polyunsaturated, at 59 percent, with monounsaturated fat comprising 37
percent.

Canola oil contains just 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon (amounting to 7 percent of its
fatty-acid make-up, with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat comprising 62 percent and
polyunsaturated fat making up 31 percent). Safflower Oil also contains just 1 gram of saturated
fat per tablespoon. Its polyunsaturated fat forms 79 percent of its make-up and 14 percent of its
fatty acids are monunsaturated.

Olive oil contains 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, or 14 percent of its total fat content,
with monounsaturated fat forming 78 percent, and polyunsaturated fat 8 percent.

By contrast, coconut oil is around 90 percent saturated fat, just 6 percent monounsaturated fat
and 2 percent polyunsaturated fat.

The balance of good fats to bad is clearly in favor of canola oil and olive oil, as they are low in
saturated fat and high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

There are those who believe that the particular saturated-fatty-acid make-up of the tropical oils,
principally coconut oil and palm fruit oil, allows the body to metabolize them differently than
animal fats, making them less harmful and even healthful, but there is no widespread consensus
on this.

As for solid fat, butter’s saturated fat content is close to 70 percent of total fat, and lard's is 43
percent.

In general, then, for a healthier fatty-acid profile, it’s better to choose liquid oils such as canola
oil and olive oil over solid fats in cooking .

Make your own cooking spray:

Using cooking spray is a great way to cut the fat in cooking, but have you thought of making
your own? Here's how. Buy a new plant mister. Wash it thoroughly before using. Add two
tablespoons of canola oil followed by 1 cup less two tablespoons of water. Create an olive oil
spray, too. Use these sprays the same way you would use commercial cooking sprays. Just make
sure you shake it before each use.
Good fat and bad fat

Conventional wisdom on dietary fats has changed. Once, all fats were deemed unhealthy, and
responsible for all manner of diseases, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes. But years of
research have changed our thinking. We now start with the premise that all fats are not created
equal—that there are good fats, bad fats, possibly-not-so-bad fats, and very bad fats. Let's take a
closer look:

The Good: Unsaturated Fats

Even today, some people need convincing that the term good fats is not an oxymoron. These
unsaturated fats help fight the very diseases that consuming excess fat was said to cause.
Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and both types
are thought to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while also boosting HDL (good)
cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fats are also thought to help lower total and bad cholesterol. But
monounsaturated fats tend to be favored over polyunsaturated fats because some research
suggests that polyunsaturated fats are less stable, and can reduce levels of good cholesterol as
well as bad.

But let's not ignore polyunsaturated fats. These are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids,
found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils
and some vegetable oils. One kind of omega-3 fatty acid is an "essential fatty acid," which
cannot be manufactured by our bodies, so eating these foods is the only way to get them. Omega-
3 fatty acids are thought to lower blood pressure, combat LDL (bad) cholesterol, fight
inflammation and protect the brain and nervous system.

Most cooking oils are made up primarily of unsaturated fats. When it comes to choosing cooking
oils, each type of cooking oil varies in its ratio of monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fats. Two
oils stand out for their high levels of monounsaturated fats: canola oil and olive oil. Other than
nonstick cooking spray, these two oils should be in your pantry.

At the end of the day, a good fat is still a fat in terms of calories. Any labels on cooking oil that
describe the oil as "light," are referring to the taste or color, not the fat or calorie content. All oils
are 100 percent fat and are worth around 120 calories per tablespoon.

The Bad: Saturated Fats

Then there are the so-called bad fats—those apparently artery-clogging saturated fats from meat
and dairy products. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats have been shown to
directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Conventional advice has been to avoid them
as much as possible. However, a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition in early 2010 found no link between saturated-fat intake and increased risk of coronary
heart disease or cardiovascular disease. Still, the Harvard School of Public Health, in a study
published in March 2010, found that replacing saturated fats with an equal amount of
polyunsaturated fats did indeed reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 19 percent.

Perhaps, then, saturated fats may not be so bad after all, and they are certainly an important
source of vitamins and minerals. Plus, some argue that coconut oil and palm fruit oil, which are
plant-based sources of saturated fats, may actually be beneficial because their particular fatty-
acid make-up means they are metabolized differently in the body. Stearic acid, found in animal
products and in some foods such as chocolate, gets a pass because much of it is converted by the
body into oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Thus, saturated fats may be more beneficial, or at
least more neutral, than we think. Yet although there are more and more scientific studies
suggesting this is the case, there is, paradoxically, no broad consensus on this yet, especially
among those designing dietary guidelines. The advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans suggests a reduction of saturated-fat intake to no more than seven
percent of daily intake, and little recognition that a high intake of carbohydrates, which tend to
replace saturated fats in people's diets, are a factor in rising obesity rates and associated health
problems.

The Worst: Trans Fats

Finally, there are what are now described as the really bad fats: trans fats, also known as
hydrogenated fats. Trans fats are created during a hydrogenation process, where liquid vegetable
oils are converted into solid fats. Trans fats are thought to be worse for us than saturated fats
because they not only raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, they also lower HDL (good)
cholesterol.
 What are Trans Fats?
 Partially and Fully Hydrogenated Oils

Trans fats lurk in all kinds of processed foods, from French fries to cookies. Thanks to new food-
label laws, which came into effect in January 2006, trans fats—once described as hidden fats—
are now listed on all packaged foods. And in the year or two before these label laws came into
effect, there was a lot of media attention focused on trans fats, and what food manufacturers were
doing to reduce trans fats in their products. But has this increased our awareness of these bad fats
made an impact on our eating habits?

In a survey by the NPD Group, a market research firm, 94 percent of us are aware of trans fats,
and 73 percent of us are concerned about them. But although most consumers were aware that
french fries and other fried foods contained trans fats, they were less aware of the trans-fat
content in other processed goods such as cakes, doughnuts, and snack foods. Indeed, 65 percent
of consumers believed restaurant food was more likely to contain trans fats than food eaten at
home. And despite consumers expressing a desire to avoid trans fats while eating out, sales of
foods containing trans fats, such as fried chicken, are still increasing.

Either we're as confused as ever, or we choose to disregard what we know. It's hard to pass up
those delicious fast-food fries or refuse to buy our favorite packaged cookies or doughnuts. But
with many restaurants switching to alternative cooking oils—voluntarily or otherwise, it looks
like trans fats are finally on their way out.

What Kind of Fats Should we Eat?

The bottom line is that the body needs dietary fat. Fat is a source of energy, it allows the proper
function of cells and the nervous system, and fat is required for the proper absorption of certain
vitamins. Fat also helps us maintain healthy hair and skin, and insulates us from the cold.
Nonetheless, we should probably limit our fat intake to no more than 30-35 percent of daily
calories. Anything lower than 20 percent, however, is unhealthy. Most of that fat should be
unsaturated. Use liquid oils over solid fats in cooking. In general, we should choose low-fat dairy
products, and the leanest cuts of meat and poultry. We should eat fish (including fatty fish such
as salmon) at least twice a week, and keep processed food and fast foods to an absolute
minimum.

Finally, back to trans fats: even if a food label proudly touts 0g trans fats, it doesn't transform
that food into a health food. It means that the hydrogenated fat has been replaced by another kind
of fat, often a saturated tropical fat, which may or may not be more beneficial.

Butter vs Margarine

Question: Which is Better - Butter or Margarine?

If we are following a low fat diet, is it OK to use butter or margarine, and is one healthier than
the other?
Answer: In terms of calories and total fat, both butter and margarine are worth around 35
calories and 4g of fat per teaspoon. But is one better or worse than the other? Let’s take a closer
look.

Butter

Butter, which is an animal product, is high in both saturated fat and dietary cholesterol,
increasing our risk of heart disease and stroke. There is also some concern about butter
containing traces of hormones and antibiotics fed to animals. On the plus side, butter is a good
source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Margarine

Margarine is made from vegetable oil, is low in saturated fat and has no dietary cholesterol. But
because the liquid vegetable oil in stick margarine is hardened through a process called
hydrogenation, it is high in trans-fatty acids. Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are thought not only
to raise levels of bad cholesterol, but also to lower levels of good cholesterol, the kind that offers
a defense against artery-clogging fats. This makes trans fats worse than saturated 

Light Spreads

Fortunately, there are a number of light spreads and margarines on the market that are trans-fat-
free. Some of these spreads also contain plant sterols and stanols, which actively block the
absorption of cholesterol, making these spreads much healthier alternatives to regular margarine
and butter. Because these light margarines and spreads have not been hydrogenated, they are soft
and usually sold in tubs rather than sticks.

Cooking

The main problem with light spreads and tub margarines is their unsuitablility for cooking and
baking. Because they contain only about 25% fat compared with at least 80% in butter and
margarine, they would ruin most recipes. For cooking, choose heart-healthy canola or olive oil
instead. Better still, if you can use cooking sprays or broth you will save additional fat calories.

Baking

In baking, regular butter and margarine provide textures and flavors that are difficult to
reproduce. It is also hard to substitute a liquid fat for a solid fat, since they behave differently
with the other ingredients. Oils are generally not suitable for cookie recipes, although they are
usually fine in muffins and cakes. Fruit purees, low fat or fat free sour cream and yogurt can
often be used instead of butter or margarine in cakes and muffins, but the outcome will be
affected in some way, often leading to a denser product.

The Soft Approach

The American Heart Association (AHA), among others, recommends margarine over butter,
advising us to choose soft varieties over hard, with no more than 2 grams of fat per tablespoon,
and with liquid vegetable oil as the primary ingredient. In general, the AHA recommends using
natural, non-hydrogenated oils such as canola or olive oil, and to look for processed foods
without saturated fat or trans fats.

For baking cookies, however, I still prefer to use butter over margarine, only much less of it.
With some fine-tuning most cookie recipes can stand using about half the quantity of butter
called for and still turn out well.
What is ENOVA OIL?

A New Kind of Cooking Oil:

Scanning the shelves of my local grocery store a few years ago, I noticed a new kind of cooking
oil, one that claimed to be very different from the rest, yet was not a fat substitute. The makers of
Enova claimed that less of its oil was stored in the body as fat. This was an intriguing
proposition.

Who Was It Made By?:

Enova oil was a product of Kao Health and Nutrition LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kao
Corporation of Japan. In 2009, sales of the oil were suspended because of higher than normal
levels of a "probable carcinogen" present in the oil. A fuller explanation from the Consumer's
Union of Japan can be foundhere.

What Was the Oil made From?:

Enova oil was essentially a blend of soybean and canola oils. Nutritionally, Enova was similar to
regular vegetable oils. A tablespoon still delivered 120 calories and 14 grams of fat, so it was not
a low fat or low calorie oil.

Was Enova A Heart Healthy Oil?:

Most of its fat was unsaturated, with the balance tipped towards polyunsaturated fat (8g) rather
than monounsaturated fat (5g). Both types help lower levels of bad cholesterol, but
polyunsaturated fat can also lower levels of good cholesterol. The ratio of Omega 6 fatty acids to
the more beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids in Enova is 10:1. Ideally this ratio should be closer to
3:1, since excess consumption of Omega 6 has been linked to high blood pressure, inflammation
and other chronic diseases.

Were there any Saturated Fats or Trans Fats in Enova Oil?:

At half a gram per serving, Enova’s saturated fat content was lower than that of its closest
counterparts (canola oil has 1 gram of saturated fat). Enova claimed to have 0g of trans fat per
serving (which is one tablespoon), yet it did not gained approval in European markets because
of, among other things, stated concerns about Enova Oil's trans-fatty-acid content.

How Did Enova Oil Work?:

The key to Enova brand oil was that it was supposed to be metabolized differently than other
oils, which meant more of it was burned and less of it was stored as fat, even though the body
absorbed it in the same way as conventional fat.
Enova was produced through a process that increased natural diacylglycerol (DAG) levels, over
triacylglycerols (TAG), which are the main components of regular oils. The lower intestine treats
these particular DAG fats differently. Instead of being repackaged and stored in the body as fat,
these special DAG molecules are filtered into the bloodstream and broken down in the liver
instead.

Substituting Enova for conventional oils could have helped lower blood lipid levels, especially
triglycerides. Initial studies showed reductions in post-meal triglyceride levels of more than
30%; other studies showed some fat loss, too.

Although Enova oil was available in the United States from January 2005 until 2009, it was sold
in Japan under the brand name Healthy Econa Cooking Oil since 1999, and became Japan's
bestselling cooking oil.

Light in color and mild in taste, Enova oil was given GRAS status—"generally recognized as
safe"—by the Food and Drug Administration, which meant it could be used for home cooking, as
well as an ingredient in salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads and other processed foods.
Unfortunately for the company, concerns about a "probable" carcinogenic substance (glycidol)
found in a higher than normal concentration in the oil led to the "temporary" withdrawal of the
product in 2009. it has yet to reappear on shelves.

For more information, check out Enova’s web site, and this report by the Consumer's Union of
Japan.

Question: Is Extra-Light Olive Oil a Low Fat or Low Calorie Cooking Oil?

A reader writes, "I bought some extra-light olive oil thinking it would be low fat or lower in
calories than regular olive oil, but the label says it still has 14 grams of fat and 120 calories per
tablespoon—all of them fat calories. How can this be?"
Answer: We know that olive oil is one of the heart-healthy fats due to its high monounsaturated
fat content (remember, saturated fats are the bad guys), making it a good choice when we need to
use some fat in our cooking or salad dressings. But all olive oil has 14 grams of fat per
tablespoon, even if the label describes it as light or extra light.

Light or extra light in this case refers to the color and flavor of the olive oil, not its calorie
content. Extra-light olive oil is pale and mild, as it’s been ultra-refined. As extra-light olive oil
has a higher smoke point* than regular or extra-virgin olive oil, it’s best suited for use in baking
or any kind of cooking where a neutral-tasting oil is needed.

For salad dressings or other dishes where the flavor and fruitiness of olive oil are important, opt
for extra-virgin olive oil, which has the purest taste. The oil is pretty much fresh from the fruit. It
may be filtered but no heat is used to refine the oil. And because of its strong flavor, a little olive
oil really does go a long way.
Will Pork become New Chicken?

Those who have sworn off red meat may be interested to know that there is indeed another white
meat out there, a claim that the National Pork Board has made for many years. But it seems that,
thanks to the breeding of leaner hogs, pork is actually leaner than ever before, with pork
tenderloin now as lean as an equivalent-sized skinless chicken breast.

Pork tenderloin now qualifies as extra lean, as it meets the government’s requirement that it
contain less than 5 grams of fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of
cholesterol per serving. Five other cuts of pork can now be considered lean, which means they
contain less than 10 grams of fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams
of cholesterol per serving. These pork cuts include: boneless top loin chops, boneless top loin
roast, center loin chops, center rib chops and bone-in sirloin roast. The six leanest cuts of pork
are said to be 16 percent leaner than 15 years ago and 27 percent lower in saturated fat.

The findings are the results of a collaborative study between the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
the University of Madison-Wisconsin, and the University of Maryland, which was funded by
the National Pork Board. Scientists compared samples of nine cuts of pork and analyzed them for
calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, vitamins and minerals. The results were
compared with the data collected in 1991.

Whether or not pork becomes as ubiquitous as chicken at the dinner table, it certainly offers us
another lean-meat option if we’re eating low fat.

The Skinny on Skinless Chicken Breasts

One of my friends refuses to eat skinless chicken breasts. According to her they're bland, boring,
and worst of all, dry. Skinless chicken breasts can be all of these things, but they needn't be. You
can make succulent and flavorful chicken breasts, if you know how. But first, why remove the
skin at all? A glib answer would be because you can. Beef has fat streaked throughout, so even if
you trim the fat, there's more that you can't get at. Chicken, on the other hand, has most of its fat
in the skin. Peel it off, and you're pretty much free and clear, save the odd blob of fat here and
there, which can easily be removed. So why else would you remove the skin? Let’s compare the
calorie and fat count of a four-ounce chicken breast with skin, and a four-ounce chicken breast
without.
 The four-ounce chicken breast with skin is worth 188 calories, 49 percent of which are
from fat. It contains 10.5 grams total fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat.
 The skinless chicken breast is worth 118 calories, with 11 percent of calories coming
from fat. It contains a mere 1.4 grams of total fat and 0.4 grams of saturated fat.

If you're eating low fat, it makes sense, then, to opt for skinless chicken breasts. But you can go
about it two ways. You can keep the skin on while cooking, and remove it before eating. The
good news is that the meat doesn't absorb the fat from the skin, and you will undoubtedly enjoy
juicy chicken—unless you overcook it! The downside is that you will likely lose almost all the
flavor you added to the skin. All the herbs, spices, and basted juices will be for naught, so you'll
end up eating plain chicken anyway. That's ok, but you probably want your skinless chicken to
have some flavor as well as moisture.
If you intend to cook chicken breasts without the skin using a dry-heat method (such as broiling,
grilling, baking, or roasting), here are some tips to ensure you don’t end up with dry, stringy
chicken:

 Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness before cooking so it cooks evenly
 Brine the chicken breasts—assuming they haven’t been pre-brined. Brining involves
soaking the chicken in a salt-water solution for about half an hour before cooking
 Use marinades and rubs. Broths, juices, vinegars, yogurt, herbs and spices can all add
flavor and moisture to your skinless chicken breasts
 Don't overcook the chicken. You must cook chicken breasts to an internal temperature
of165 degrees. There's no such thing as rare, medium and well done when it comes to chicken

If you're cooking skinless chicken breasts through moist-heat methods such as microwaving,
steaming, slow cooker, or baking or sautéing the chicken in broth, sauce or other juices, then
you're a little less likely to end up with dry chicken breasts. Moist heat generally requires longer
cooking at a lower temperature than dry-heat methods. That said, chicken doesn't need to be
“broken down” like tough cuts of meat, so cooking skinless chicken breasts for hours, unless it's
specifically a slow-cooker recipe, is not necessary and will result in tough meat.

So that's the skinny on skinless chicken breasts. Here are some great chicken recipes, most of
which feature skinless chicken breasts.

20 ways to cut fat from food

1. Use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil; or at least choose liquid oils over
solid fats (preferably canola oil or olive oil)
2. 2. Choose extra-lean meat and skinless chicken breasts
3. 3. Trim all visible fat from meat
4. Grill, broil, bake, braise, steam, poach, slow-cook, and microwave foods instead of frying
them. Sautéing is ok with minimal amounts of oil, or use nonstick spray, or broth instead
5.  Drain fat from cooked meats and blot them with kitchen paper if necessary
6. Use vegetables, beans or whole grains to replace some of the meat content of burgers,
meatloaf, and chili
7. Coat chicken and fish in breadcrumbs rather than batter, and bake them instead of frying
them
8. Choose chicken or turkey sausages instead of pork or beef sausages
9. Choose Canadian bacon or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon
10. se one egg and two egg whites per person in your favorite egg dishes or cakes; or cut fat
and cholesterol completely by using egg substitute
11. Substitute two meat dishes each week with fish or vegetarian meals
12. Use fat-free chicken broth or fat-free milk in mashed potatoes, soups, gravies and stews
13. Try fat-free evaporated milk in creamy soups and casseroles instead of heavy cream
14. Top your pies or line your tarts with phyllo dough instead of regular pastry
15. Oven-fry potatoes instead of making or buying French fries
16. Use herbs, spices, fruits and salsas to flavor your food
17. Substitute reduced fat cheeses for full-fat ones, and cut the amount you use
18. Choose reduced fat sour cream or yogurt instead of full-fat versions for stews, dips,
spreads, and dressings
19.  Use reduced fat or fat-free cream cheese instead of the regular version for cheesecakes
20. Replace some of the fat in baked goods with applesauce, plain nonfat yogurt or low fat
buttermilk